Upside Down is the New Rightside Up
by MDH
Summary: AU. When life deals you your hand with the cards face up and exposed, people will just go ahead and take advantage of you. SasuSaku.


A/N:

9 years later and I've finally felt that rush of creativity to write something. I left up my two other stories that I wrote when I first got this account for the sake of pure entertainment…and embarrassment. You probably shouldn't read them lol.

I don't believe I'm a very good storyteller even to this day. I've kinda just enjoyed what other people have written but figured that I love reading SasuSaku…why not try and whip out a story. So, as typical as this plot may seem, here it is:

* * *

**Upside Down is the New Rightside Up**

When life deals you your hand with the cards face up and exposed, people will just go ahead and take advantage of you.

Disclaimer: DNON

**C_01: Head over Heels…literally.**

The day had started like all the other days for the past few weeks. The sun shone through the casement windows and right onto the sleeping girl's naturally blushing face. Despite the pillows strewn around the bed with the cotton blanket tangled around her legs, Sakura did have moments in which she was a light sleeper. But with the stress of going around from hospital to hospital looking for a job, the days had weighed her down and kept her in bed fighting consciousness. The morning air still had a little bite to it causing the telltale signs of goosebumps to arise. However, as soon as the shock of sunlight reached the lids of jade-green eyes, a yawn plus a stretch ensued to rid her body of its previous drowsy state while the reality of her days kicked in.

Unemployed. Again. And in dire need of money for this month's rent. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to her side, grasping the wrinkled blanket while in motion.

Sakura was just another struggling statistic in this world. She couldn't move back home because…well, Suna? That desert and dry heat? Living with your parents at 25? No thanks. She would rather stick it out in Konoha and try to dig herself out of the massively growing money pit. At least she'd have good weather.

* * *

A minute or two of laying and trying to bask on the good side of things, her phone rang with its usual upbeat chime causing Sakura to groan yet again. She rolled to the other end of the bed to grab the object that she should have set to silent. 'And here we go,' Sakura thought as she stared down at the caller ID.

"Good morning, forehead! Happy Saturday!" Ino exclaimed too loudly for Sakura's newly woken brain. She definitely had to bring Ino down a notch from whatever high she was on.

"Oh joy. You know, weekends don't mean much to me nowadays since everyday seems like a one."

"What, are you on vacation or something? We need to get your butt out of bed and to that new cutesy café so we can have a little catch up session. Goodness knows that things have happened and, well, I want to know about all of it! And seriously, with all that free time, I'd assume you'd spend your days wisely waking up to a hot—but currently nonexistent—boyfriend."Count on Ino to turn all this into some information gathering and ruse to get her dating.

"Alright, alright. Just let me get decent…before you come pick me up? You will? Ok thanks, bye!" Sakura sped through the latter end of her sentence without waiting for a response. With these current gas prices, she needed to lay low on driving herself around and dedicate what gas she did have for going around attending interviews.

Dressed casually in a loose button up blouse tucked into black capris and sporting a pair of flowery printed wedges, Sakura was ready for anything should someone call her regarding her resume. So it was the weekend. One never knew the possibilities of running into someone with connections that could get her that stable doctor job she needs. Or anything that related to medicine, illness…heck, anything with an income. And honestly, looking decent and put together always made her feel good.

Catching sight of Ino's midnight blue car, Sakura finished applying some light makeup, pulled her hair into a messy bun, grabbed her purse and locked up. Ino greeted her with a grin and started navigating through the streets to the café.

"Sakura. You're just going out with me. No need to get fancy…unless you're seeing a guy later? Trying to impress someone without even giving me a heads up?" Her teasing gaze and slight lift of her eyebrow made Sakura uncomfortable and shift in her seat.

"No, I'm not meeting anybody in that sense today. You can stop looking at me like that and perhaps keep your eyes on the road." Sakura admits that she has quite the extensive closet of clothes that stemmed from her initial job that paid well for her graveyard shifts. But that was back in the days when surgical interns were on demand and fewer people were qualified. This was the other side of the coin; the not so shiny side.

Regardless, she studied under the best and figured luck will nicely pay her back for all the life she missed out on as a result. Maybe the higher ups would even decide to throw in a nice guy while they were at it. But if no one came along anytime soon, meh. Sakura mentally shrugged her shoulders. She believed in fate and all that destiny crap people often dismissed when it came to love…which was why she reserved the effort of searching to things she knew she had control over.

Ino made a slight left, driving as smoothly as ever, and came to a red light. Glancing back at her pink-haired passenger, she reprimanded, saying, "One day, I am going to set you up with someone and you'll be glad you dressed up for the impromptu occasion. It'll make up for your wide forehead."

Scoffing, Sakura turned her head towards her window and muttered under her breath that her love life was currently not her main concern.

* * *

Reaching the café—appropriately named Tihausu—the two girls admired the newly planted vines and potted plants surrounding the brick exterior. The simple awning framed the double glass door entry and gave a view of the modernly decorated interior. Sleek benches lined the perimeter of the room with scattered seating in the center. After sitting amongst a couple other earlybirds, the waitress took their orders and proceeded to prep the items.

Of course, Ino was the first to pipe up. "So. Update me. Details, details details. But do try to limit the work rant please. You might just cause me to say Shikamaru's most common phrase."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the plea. "Ok fine. I'll get to that eventually. But before the untimeliness of my firing at Otafuku Hospital, I was working my usual midnight to 8am shift. I had just finished up filing away paperwork from an overnight patient I was attending to when a guy came through the doors swaying around like a madman. He was wearing this green jumpsuit waving his fists and slurring his words. Granted, he looked fine aside from a long, shallow cut on his arm and a few gashes on his fists. I was on my way to help him onto one of the beds when after stumbling through the doors, he crashed down on me and kept repeatedly saying how I was like some youthful flower and that he'd do a thousand pushups for me. That guy was all over the place so I just stuck a banana bag IV into his arm and patched him up. You should have seen the next guy who came in looking for him. They looked like twins with the outfit and hair." Sakura chuckled at the recollection of the bowl haircuts and thick eyebrows. She left out the accidental groping in hopes to avoid a series of jokes that wouldn't let her forget the incident.

She continued to relay everything that she could recall up until Ino's call this morning. Job hunting had taken up a majority of her time, not sparing a minute of freedom away from the search.

Given that Ino did not have or want the attention span for that kind of talk, she subtly began to scan the café and people-watch from the window when she detected the directionality of the conversation.

The bells of the entrance door signaling a new customer brought Ino back from her daze and the hum of Sakura's voice in the background.

In walked the most gorgeous (besides Shikamaru because she is gladly taken by the lazy bum) man dressed in slacks on a Saturday morning. White collared shirt, black skinny tie, with unruly hair and onyx eyes that she swore seemed bottomless. He had an air of overconfidence that gave him the ability to look aristocratic without having to look down at everyone else. With the morning newspaper in hand, he strode over to a table only a few paces away from their own.

The waitress taking his simple order of black coffee with no cream or sugar seemed to agree with her since the girl's cheeks had adopted a crimson tint. The man had the capacity to turn a girl into a fidgeting mess if he wanted to. Good thing Ino was immune. Well, she was still a woman; she could appreciate a good-looking guy when she saw one.

At this sighting, Ino got that sinister smile back on her lips and giggled in such a way that made Sakura uneasy. Seriously, it was like she had a permanent twinkle in her eye.

Leaning forward, Ino hoped she was being as inconspicuous as possible…that she wasn't checking out the guy who wandered in like it was the middle of the week. Her imagination cut loose as she went into matchmaking mode and thought out some way to get an interaction going between him and her best friend. 'Interaction' in all implications of the word.

"Hey so, you mind if we get going? I was actually planning to take you out shopping with me. I saw these incredibly adorable heels that I need you to convince me to buy." It wasn't a total lie. She could use an addition to her small shoe collection with the pretense of getting Sakura to stand up and head to the cash register.

"A shopping trip is only going to make me want to go shopping too. What are you doing to me?" Sakura loathed as Ino gathered hers and Sakura's used mugs.

Grabbing her receipt, Sakura played right into the clichéd scheme. "Ugh. Bills. The bane of my existence. You would think that there would never be a shortage of sick people." Sakura complained under her breath.

As she turned towards the counter, Ino had conveniently placed a well-manicured foot in Sakura's path at the last second, effectively tripped said girl. Sakura let out a quick yelp as she stumbled forward and attempted to catch herself before she fell face flat on the polished concrete ground. Ino retracted her foot just in time to hide the obvious fact that she had caused the tripping. Taking a quick peek, she had succeeded in getting the hot suit-man's attention away from the newspaper and on her pink-haired friend.

Er, along with the rest of the people in the café. Good thing it was still in the early hours of the day.

The blonde—expecting the guy to react, flinch…or anything of the sort besides a shifting of his eyes—stared at the man for a few seconds before she concluded that he wouldn't lift a finger to assist her fallen friend. Sakura was right in front of him! The nerve of that guy…

After giving him that 'well?-Are-you-going-to-her-help-up-or-what?' look, he reluctantly got up and grabbed the clumsy girl up by arm. Her receipt and a couple other trinkets fell out of her hand and purse, but he had done his deed for the day. She can pull herself together.

Walking just a table away from their own, Ino confronted the two.

"Sasuke! Interesting seeing you here...and all dressed up. Although I'm not surprised with you being a workaholic. Seriously, seeing you out of that office in _Konoha University_ _Hospital_ gives you a tinge of normalcy." With an emphasis on KU Hospital and quick look to her right. Sakura gaped at her best friend.

'Ino knows this guy? And he works at a hospital? _Konoha University Hospital?_ The college I graduated from and have been trying to get back into the internship program? I need to remind myself to strangle the pig when I get the chance. Both for tripped me and withholding this crucial information.'

Ino didn't want to go too far into the teasing, apprehensive that her plan and connection to Sasuke might backfire.

"So, how are things lately? I've got a few deliveries to make this week since it seems like an intense flu season had been breaking out lately."

"…Hn."

Typical Sasuke. Can't hold a conversation.

The aforementioned man just turned away to sit back down and tried to resume what he was doing before the two girls happened. Seeing this, Sakura elbowed the girl next to her, kept subtly pointing her head towards Sasuke, and mumbled in a low voice. "Pig, it doesn't seem like my pride is going to be earning me money any time soon. Please, please please…and I'll try to forget you purposefully tripping me with your fat foot and not telling me you deliver to that hospital."

But Ino was way ahead of her. "I'll try to imagine you didn't just insult my feet."

Coughing, Ino tried to bring work up again with a tone of voice that hinted 'favor.' "Sasuke. We've been affiliated for quite some time, your business and mine. Mind working your magic and getting this lovely girl—her name is Sakura by the way—a chance at working her magic on those hospital floors? She really needs the job. She's qualified, she'll work as hard as you, and plus, she's easy on the eyes." Ino winked as she slipped that last part in. "I'll put everything on the table that Sakura is nothing short of perfect for KU Hospital."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We just recently signed a contract. I don't owe you anything."

"Oh, come on! Be a good sport. I'll throw in a couple deals here and there if you do this for her."

"No."

"Sasuke!"

"No."

"Please!"

Sigh. This world would be less annoying if the girls standing in front of him weren't…standing there.

"Fine." Looking at Sakura, who quietly pleaded for this Sasuke guy to pull through for her, he said, "Just send me your resume and we'll go from there."

At this, Sakura smiled while thanking him for the opportunity. She went back, rummaged through her purse, and pulled out a ready-made resume and cover letter. She knew having these prepped would pay off.

Sakura handed her token to employment over to Sasuke and said her thanks once more. Sasuke just looked at the paper and put it away in his bag. Getting up to pay and finally leave the café, he sneered again at the fact that women seem to continuously haunt him wherever he went.

* * *

Reaching his office that provided silence and solitude, he proceeded to catch up on a few balance sheets he wasn't able to finish going through the day before.

Shuffling through various stacks of paperwork, he was starting to get into the groove of things when his phone rang.

"Sasuke. It's Shikamaru."

"…"

"I assumed you'd be at the office. Anyways, I know this is the last thing you want to hear…but trust me. What I've been forced to listen to for the last 10 minutes is the most troublesome thing to hear in the morning.

"Hn."

"Ino's been trying to tell me to convince you to hire her best friend."

…And the two annoying girls surface again. He should just hurry up and give in so they can leave him alone. Taking out Sakura's resume, he quickly scanned it, affirming that everything looked surprisingly good. Finished med school early, experienced by working during and immediately after finishing school…she even worked under Tsunade, who he knows currently works at this hospital.

"Fine. I'm sure Ino or Sakura are around you. Tell either one of them that Sakura can come in on Monday for an interview."

Sasuke hung up right after without waiting for a response. Pinching between his eyes and resting his arms on the desk…it felt as if it was late in the day when in reality it was only 11am. It wasn't even the afternoon yet. Damn.

* * *

An eventful morning leading up to a costly shopping trip, Sakura arrived home, kicked off her wedges and sunk onto her sectional sofa. Exhaling the pent up relief that things were actually moving forward, she smiled at the prospect of returning to familiar territory. Of course with the added bonus of potentially working with a majorly attractive man. True, she claimed to not be overtly swayed by someone's physicality, but Sasuke was definitely something else. Although she was sure his gleaming personality might not make up for everything on the outside, he figuratively opened a door for her and that was certainly a step in the right direction.

* * *

When Ino passed on the news of an interview to Sakura after arriving at her own apartment a few minutes earlier, she immediately pat herself on the back for a job well executed. Yeah, she was able to get her best friend a job at the most fitting hospital she could ever work at (again)...but this was only the beginning of a series of matchmaking plans. Ino got her the job, and now she'll see if she can get her the man.

Giving Shikamaru a kiss and a hug, Ino told him her true intention of securing a job for Sakura from Sasuke. "This is my last chance to test out my cupid skills. Unless people start splitting, everyone's already been coupled up. Things have gotten a little boring around here."

Shikamaru groaned. "I can't believe you're trying to get Sasuke involved. Troublesome woman. You might not get far. Sasuke keeps to himself."

"Not with Sakura he won't!"

He knew that was the end of this conversation. Once Ino set her mind on something, she always followed through. He'll probably end up being dragged into this mess; someone will have to watch over his girlfriend in case Sasuke or Sakura catch wind of what she's got scheming in that head of hers.

* * *

She felt really good about her odds with KU Hospital.

Sifting through her closet, Sakura pulled out a maroon ruffled tank top and a black pencil skirt. Dress to impress, right? She slipped into her clothes trying to think as positive as possible so her nerves didn't get the best of her. Sasuke seemed to be the intimidating type but she'd be damned if he attempted to scare her away from this golden opportunity.

Glancing at the clock on her bedside dresser, she had a good half hour before she needed to head out to the hospital. It was only 7:30 in the morning and the commute wouldn't be too bad. All she had left to do was eat a quick breakfast. She finished tucking in her shirt before shrugging on a light cardigan.

She would normally prepare a complete meal for herself but she felt that times like these wouldn't allow her the attention span to cook and sit down. So she settled for a granola bar while she paced in her living room going over interview questions and responses in her head.

'I can do this. This is going to be a piece of cake. No one would be in their right mind if they refused me.' Sakura rolled her eyes. 'Well if anything, at least I've got my confidence.'

As soon as she deemed herself ready to go, she hopped into her car and headed down the familiar roads to get things over with.

* * *

The interview he had arranged with Sakura wasn't scheduled until 9am, but Sasuke had already been in the office since 7am. He believed that things would get done right if he did them himself. There were people who could technically do the work he imposed onto himself—which he does assign to people under him—but he made sure that he looked over everything and they had his stamp of approval. Control freak much? Yeah, he knows. But someone's gotta do it if they expected the best outcome every single time.

He received notice that Sakura had arrived and was waiting in the lobby. Deciding to start things, he called the front desk to send her in.

The receptionist led her to the door, leaving her to knock and let herself in. Doing so, she heard a commanding 'Come in.' She took a step into his office and tried to tell herself not to wring her hands in front of him while he slowly looked up and gave her a scrutinizing stare.

He kind of liked her already. 30 minutes early. And he couldn't help but appreciate Sakura herself. He hasn't particularly showed interest in anyone in the past. It wasn't like he was against the prospect of women; they often threw themselves at him and tried to snag a date whenever possible. But none had really caught his attention to actually convince him to make an effort. Most of them didn't fit his standards anyways. What did they think he was? Shallow? However, Sasuke had to admit that Sakura had substance and was definitely…how did Ino put it? Easy on the eyes.

Similarly, Sakura had come to the same conclusion about Sasuke the first time she saw him. Coming face to face with him for the second time just reaffirmed her opinion. He had donned another suit of black slacks and jacket with a silky navy blue tie; his hair in what she assumed was his usual style that covered part of his face while the rest stuck out in back. It seemed a little ridiculous, but it really fit him.

Sasuke had this cool look plastered on his face as he gestured Sakura to take a seat in the chair across his desk.

Shaking his hand, she initiated with a 'good morning, Uchiha-san.'

Grunting in response, Sasuke went into work mode and started the interview process.

"What made you choose your profession?"

Slightly caught off guard, Sakura composed herself and responded, "I've always wanted to help people, heal patients. As cliché as this sounds, I know that being a doctor is much more than what I am meant to do; it really defines who I am."

"How do you handle stress?"

'Goodness. The man doesn't skip a beat,' Sakura thought.

"Perseverance. And tea. A lot of it. I've had my fair share of difficult patients and co-workers and I know that having a tolerance for people like that can go a long way."

Nodding in satisfaction, he continued, "Explain your previous experiences in the field."

"Well, I mainly worked under Tsunade—who I understand also works here—during my initial internship here at KU Hospital, and I also worked with Shizune at Otafuku Hospital. I'm aiming to do more than the responsibilities I've had in the past of doing checkups and such, which is why I eventually want to join the surgical team."

In conjunction with her resume, Sasuke was content with everything that he heard and decided to cut the interview shorter than expected.

"I've heard what was necessary. You can start work as early as tomorrow."

Blinking, Sakura just uttered a simple 'ok' and listened to what little statements Sasuke had left to say.

Taking that response as an affirmation to his offer, he continued, "Sort out the rest of the details with Shiranui Genma, the office manager, and Hyuuga Neji tomorrow. Neji works in HR. He'll get you situated."

After taking note, the two stood and shook hands once again to wrap things up.

Sakura felt the need to thank him since the whole hiring situation happened in a skewed order with Ino having a big hand in all this. "I just want to thank you for making this happen for me, especially with how abrupt everything turned out to be the other day."

'You don't say.' Sasuke thought.

"Hn." He sat back down and continued to write an email that he had neglected when Sakura had walked in.

Taking that as her cue to leave, she opened the door and took a last glance at the man typing away on the keyboard. 'Too bad. Would have been nice to see that face everyday,' she inwardly giggled.

She didn't expect to see much of him with how much she's gathered about his habits and the fact that they are in opposite ends of the department spectrum. He'd be cooped up in his office being a total recluse while she would be caught up in attending to patients and running around the hospital floors. There was no chance that their paths would cross again.

Oh, how wrong she was.

* * *

A/N:

I'm hoping that through the duration of this story there won't be any gaping holes in characters and in the plot. Which speaking of, I'm kinda writing as I go. I've outlined the second chapter so the entire plot is not set in stone. Also fyi, I'm in the same boat as all of you in anticipating chapter after chapter since this whole 'let's-write-a-random-story' attitude was a total whim. But I'll do my best to not disappoint those of you who look forward to reading more.

…I probably should have written a one-shot. Well, this is what came out so too late for that.

MDH


End file.
